2#Awakened by the Vampire Prince (Flower) (5 page)

In
the far distance, he could see that Gideon was pacing. As he got closer, it
became clear why. The princess was crying. The soft sniffs and whimpers made
his heart clench and the air seize in his lungs. He was extremely angry with
her but a bigger part of him wanted to rush inside and pull her into his arms.

It
was the sound of an unknown female’s voice that stopped him. “Just tell me,
princess. I’ve always been your friend. I’m here for you now.”

There
was more sniffing followed by a shuddery breath.

Gideon
stepped forward. “Go. You shouldn’t be listening to this. Give the princess
some privacy.” His face was a mask of concern.

“I
promise not to tell another soul.” The same female said. “It kills me to see
you like this.”

A
barely audible sob punctured through the wall. He felt himself grimace in
response. Xavier nodded. He couldn’t stand to hear Esral this upset. “I’m
coming back.” He said, looking Gideon in the eye and trying hard to keep his
voice down. “I need to speak with the princess.”

Gideon
shook his head. “No one goes in or out by order of the elven prince.”

“Since
when do you take orders from the fucking elven prince?”

Gideon’s
eyes flashed with momentary panic. “He is her brother.”

“I’m
your prince. I’ll be back.” Xavier didn’t wait for a reply, he turned and
strode away. The sound of Esral’s crying still in his ears. His heart felt raw.

Through
a slightly thinner patch in the canopy above, Xavier could just make out some
light from the moon. He knew that if he was able to see into the night sky, it
would be a crescent moon above him.

He
took a deep breath as he walked across the final planks of the walkway. Hoping
that he had allowed the princess enough time, he had been unable to stay away
any longer.

Gideon’s
eyes narrowed on him. “The princess is asleep and should not be disturbed…my
lord.” He said, keeping his voice down.

Xavier
punched the male while trying not to make too much noise. Gideon grunted,
taking a step backwards.

“I’m
afraid I have to insist,” Xavier ground out through clenched teeth.

Using
the sleeve on his right arm, Gideon wiped away the blood that was leaking from
his nose. He shook his head. “Esral cried again after that female left and only
just fell asleep. Esral is to mate with York in a few days. With all due
respect, my lord. I could scent her on you—”

Xavier
didn’t wait for him to finish his sentence, he punched the male again. “That’s
Princess Esral to you. I’m not asking you, I’m…” He took a deep breath, trying
to remind himself that the male was just standing up for Esral. That he actually
thought he was doing the right thing by her. “There is something that the two
of us need to discuss. It’s very important.”

Gideon’s
face was contorted in rage. He was panting heavily and again used his shirt to
wipe the blood off of his face. “I don’t like it,” he growled as he stepped to
the side. “It’s just not right. She has been claimed by another male. If she so
much as sniffs, let alone sheds a single tear…”

“What
will you do?” Xavier narrowed his eyes at the male, clenching his fists at his
sides. Gideon clenched his jaw but lowered his eyes. “I am not here to hurt the
princess,” Xavier finally growled. He didn’t wait for a response, instead, he carefully
opened Esral’s door closing it softly behind him.

She
made a restless noise in her sleep and the covers rustled as she stirred.
Xavier just stood there at the foot of her bed and watched her sleep for half a
minute. Pretending for just a short while that the events of this afternoon had
never taken place. Then, he grew a set of balls and called her name.

The
princess sat straight up, her eyes wide. Her hair a thick mass about her
shoulders. Xavier swallowed thickly as the sheets pooled around her hips, she
wore a barely there silken gown held on by thin straps.

When
his eyes snapped back up, hers were filled with anger. “How dare you come
unannounced into my chamber?”

“How
dare I? Easily, princess, earlier today you practically begged me to give us a
chance and now I find out that you asked York to take you as your mate just
yesterday. According to him, you went about it like a business proposal listing
all of the benefits should he decide to go ahead.”

Her
eyes widened and she sucked in a shuddery breath.

It
hurt to see that he had hit the mark. He knew York hadn’t been lying even
though there was a secret part of him, deep down inside, that had hoped he had
been. “You told him that if he wasn’t interested that you were going to
proposition one of the other vampire males, was that what today was all about?
Was it all one big come-on because you needed a mate so desperately? I just happened
to be in the right place at the right time? Did you let any of the others touch
you?” He growled the last through clenched teeth, feeling his hands knot at his
sides.

“Did
one of the others touch me?” She made an incredulous noise while yanking the
sheet off of her. “You didn’t just ask me that, Xavier?”

“I
sure as hell did. I cannot believe that you played me for a fool. What was your
plan? Ask everyone and maybe that way you would get a taker? I have genuine
feelings for you. I—”

She
leapt up off the bed in a graceful move that had his jaw dropping. Using the
tip of her finger, she prodded him in the chest repeatedly. “How dare you? How
dare you?” She repeated again this time more forcefully. Her whole body
vibrated in anger “Yes, you son of a bitch.” Her eyes were wide and her breath
came in pants.

It
irritated him that the only thing he could think of in this minute was how
damned beautiful she was. Her hair was wild, her cheeks flushed. He had to work
hard to stop his gaze from dipping to her cleavage. Lord help him, out of the
corner of his eye, he could see how her lush breasts swayed and bounced with
each elaborate move she made.

“I
did ask York if he would mate with me. Yes, I was desperate and would’ve
propositioned one of the others if I had to. So there, you heard what you
wanted to hear and you can get out.” The finger that had been aimed at his
chest swept to the door.

Xavier
shook his head. “Not so fast, princess. I think you owe me an explanation. We
agreed to see one another…we agreed we would give our relationship a chance. When
you looked at me earlier…” His voice softened. He took a small step towards
her. “The way you looked at me earlier was with genuine feelings. I don’t buy
that it was all an act. Then again, I have to ask myself why you are going
along with this whole charade? I need you to explain.”

Her
eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. “I owe you nothing. I didn’t see you speak
up for me in that meeting earlier. It was York that stepped forward.”

“I
was trying to buy us time. You didn’t want to mate me out of necessity all
those months ago and nothing has changed. We would always have it hanging over
our heads and I didn’t want that. If you hadn’t propositioned half the vampire
guard then maybe my plan would’ve worked.”

Esral
stepped back as if he had struck her and his first instinct was to try and
soothe her but he held back.

She
sucked in a deep breath before making a sound of frustration through clenched
teeth. “If you hadn’t tried to rut with half the elven females then maybe I
would’ve been thinking a little more clearly.”

Xavier
felt his brow crease. “Come again, princess.”

“You
heard me. Cheri mentioned how big your root is and warned me to stay away from
you. She told me how you tried to get her to rut you. I never thought I would
say it but I plan on taking her advice.” Her eyes welled with tears and her
bottom lip quivered until she sucked it between her teeth and bit down.

 “You’re
still losing me here…Cheri…oh Cheri…” He realized who it was Esral was talking
about. “Wait a minute…”

“So
there have been a few then…tough for you to remember them all?” Although tears
spilled, she narrowed her eyes at him.

****

His
gun metal grey eyes lined up with hers. “There aren’t any other females. Cheri—”

She
didn’t want to hear it. “So it was only Cheri then? Look, you don’t have to
explain anything to me. I propositioned half your guard and am to be mated to
York in three days. I have no hold over you…I never did…so just go.”

“Look,
I don’t know what this Cheri female told you but I never put a finger on her.
She was the one who came on to me. She touched me. I declined her offer. I
could only think of you, dammit.” He stepped forward, putting his hand out to
touch her and then thought better of it. He took a deep breath, his brow was
creased. His eyes were dark. Xavier shook his head and clasped a hand to the
back of his neck. “Why did you approach York if you wanted me? I need some sort
of closure on this Esral.”

His
use of her name shook her into answering him. “I told you, I was desperate. You
were in that room today. My father…”

“I
know all of that…why didn’t you come to me? Why did you let me…” He spoke so
softly, his eyes lightened up a tad. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed
thickly.

“I
didn’t think you wanted me.” She shrugged. “Then I found out that I was wrong.
You have no idea how happy I was until…” She felt her cheeks heat as she
remembered how he couldn’t wait to leave her after he had given her the most
amazing orgasm.

“Tell
me what you were going to say.” Xavier clutched her arm lightly. “Just tell me.
I need to know what the hell is going on inside that head of yours.”

She
pulled away from him. “You ran out earlier like your backside was on fire. I
wasn’t trying to trap you, I swear. You—”

“Do
you have any idea how close I came to rutting you?” He stood just a few inches
away from her. She breathed in his heat, his manly scent. “I could scent that
you were still in need.” He took a small step back, running a hand through his
hair and threw out a strangled chuckle. “In hindsight I should’ve just parted
your thighs and taken what you offered. We could’ve avoided this whole mess.”

She
gasped, but only because his words caused nectar to pool at her core. It
irritated her because it was just so inappropriate. She tried to ignore his
comment and focused instead on answering his original question. “I planned on
speaking with York, telling him that I retracted my offer to mate with him but
Cheri blindsided me. She told me you had tried”—she swallowed hard—“to rut
her.”

His
eyes darkened.

“The
meeting was straight after. I was still in shock. When we walked into my
father’s chamber, I saw that you recognized Cheri and thought she had been
telling the truth. I wasn’t thinking straight. I had planned on asking you
about it but everything happened so fast.” Esral took in a deep breath, feeling
anger swirl inside her. “She is such a conniving, scheming…”

“You
thought I tried to rut her and you were angry with me?”

Esral
nodded. “And hurt.”

“That’s
why you let York claim you?”

She
nodded, feeling despair and hopelessness set in. “Yes, I had no other choice.
Please don’t hurt York. He is only trying to help me.”

“More
like help himself,” Xavier mumbled. “I won’t hurt him unless he forces my hand.”

“What
does that mean?”

“Nothing
you need to concern yourself with. I’m glad we sorted this out.” He smiled and
she thought her heart would break just seeing his masculine beauty. He cupped
her cheek, forcing her to look at him. “Thank the Gods! You need to know that
you are the only one for me…
you,
Esral. Do you hear me?”

She
nodded, knowing that she should put an end to this but how could she? She was
destined to mate York in three days but Xavier was the male she had wanted for
the longest time. She should never have believed a single word that came out of
Cheri’s mouth. Esral had made a colossal mess of everything and was going to
lose everything she held dear and there was nothing she could do about it.

“I
don’t want Cheri”—his eyes darkened as he said her name on a growl before
capturing Esral’s lips for a second—“or anyone else.” Another low growl that
did weird things to her insides. He kissed her again. It shocked her to hear a
desperate whimper escape her.

Xavier’s
nostrils flared. She knew that he could scent her nectar. Just being in the
same room as him drove her wild. The knowledge that all she was wearing was a
silken nightgown had her clenching her teeth.

“I
need to touch you. Please, princess.” It was Xavier’s turn to sound desperate.

She
shook her head. “Yes,” she said on a breathy sigh. Squeezing her eyes shut for
a second before she realized what she had just said. Esral had meant to turn
him down.

Xavier
kissed her again, causing her toes to curl into the thick woolen rug on the
floor. She clung to him for support, feeling his muscles shift beneath his thin
leather vest. When he pulled away, he was smiling. “It can’t be yes and no. Has
to be one or the other.” His eyes dropped to her lips and he licked his own.

Her
heart clenched. Pain coursed through her. “We shouldn’t.” She tried to look
away but his eyes held her captive.

“I
won’t penetrate you. I just want to ease you, please. Then we need to talk.
It’s just you’re driving me crazy.” His eyes drifted down the length of her.
“Seeing you with York.” His breaths came more quickly and his lips pursed for a
few seconds. His hands moved to her waist. “Please, princess.” He caressed her
over her hips.

She
nodded, not trusting her voice. This would be the last time. It was wrong but
there was no way she could refuse the male that she loved. It would be a memory
that she would cherish for always. “Not my thorn.” She whispered, almost
against his lips.

Xavier
nodded. “Lie on the bed. I’m going to talk with Gideon to make sure we are not
disturbed. It’s late but you never know.” He smiled, making her knees turn to soft,
bendy willow. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything before.

Esral
heard him growl at the door as she lay down on her bed. Gideon growled
something back, the male did not sound happy. She pulled herself up onto her
elbows, contemplating whether to remove her nightgown. No, it would be better
if she left it on. This was risky. If they went too far it would spell
disaster.

“Just
fucking do it.” Xavier said as he took a step back. He closed the door, turning
to face her. The hard edges to his face relaxed as he locked eyes with her.