Daric's Mate (12 page)

“You’d make up something bogus?” she answered, smiling as she felt his cock starting to swell inside her.

“Yes,” he replied immediately.

“Your Majesty, that isn’t very king-like behavior,” she admonished him with a startled laugh.

Daric rolled, trapping her beneath him, his eyes hot with sinful intent. “Never did give a shit about being King,” he rumbled, covering her mouth with his.

Hannah’s body ignited, all thoughts of sleep slipping away as her desire roared to life.

Ah…was there anything better than royalty behaving badly?

Later, much later, Hannah decided that there really wasn’t.

Epilogue

Six Months Later…

Daric tugged on the bow tie of the uncomfortable tuxedo he was wearing with a frown, using his magic to make the tie and top button of the shirt looser and more comfortable.
Better
. The starch in the shirt still scraped at his neck, but he’d live with it to make Hannah happy.
Anything for Hannah.

He looked around the town park, wondering if everyone in Temple was here. It certainly felt like it. The park was overflowing with people…and vampires. Daric smiled, slightly amused as he wondered what the good people of Temple would think if they knew they were celebrating the Carvillius wedding, mingling around the park on a mild early summer evening, with a whole lot of hungry vampires and vampire healers.

His heart tripped, as he thought back to Hannah coming toward him earlier on Liam’s arm, looking more radiant than any woman he had ever seen. And, being well over a thousand years old, he had seen a lot of women. But none compared to his bride, his beautiful Hannah.
Not even close
.

Every day, Daric swore he couldn’t love Hannah more than he did that day. But the next he loved her more. Finally, he stopped thinking that he couldn’t love her more, because he realized that he would be lying to himself. Every single day she would do something that would touch his heart. She always did. And he didn’t think she would ever stop.

His eyes roamed the crowd, automatically searching for his bride, happy to see that many of his healers had attended with their new mates. The last several months had seen many healers mated, a fact that delighted Daric as it meant that he had more time to spend with his own mate, and that his healers were behaving. The Hale brothers were at the buffet table. Again. His smile turned evil as he watched the brothers tugging at the neck of their tuxedos, all of them being part of the wedding party. Liam had given Hannah away and had served as Daric’s best man, while the rest of the Hale brothers had been groomsmen. Their mates had all stood up for Hannah as bridesmaids.

Daric shoved his hands in his pockets and made his way to the buffet table, ready to get another plate before the Hale men consumed the entire feast.

“Your Majesty, are you sure you don’t want me to make you a protective ward?” Regan asked, standing next to Liam at the table, her brows drawn together with a concerned look.

Daric smiled at Regan, looking around briefly to make sure no one human heard Regan call him by his title. But there was nobody swarming the food except the Hale brothers with their mates tucked to their sides, their women watching them fondly as Ethan, Rory, Nathan and Liam wolfed down the food. “It doesn’t work on me, Regan. But I thank you for offering again. Royalty has their own wards, a power that keeps us from harm against the mage. And please call me Daric.” He bowed and departed to find Hannah.

Regan sighed. “He’s so awesome,” she whispered to Brianna, Callie and Sasha. The other women nodded their heads in agreement.

“He is not awesome. He is King. He’s our ruler. But he is
not
awesome.” Liam stopped filling his plate long enough to scowl at his mate.

Daric snickered as he walked away, listening as all of the Hale brothers explained to their mates why they were not allowed to find their King awesome. As though any one of the Hale brothers needed to worry? Their mates were so devoted to them that none of them needed to worry. Daric had a feeling that Regan had said that just to needle her mate and the other women colluded with her for the same reason.
And people think vampires are diabolical. Women can be the very devil when they want to be.
Personally, Daric loved seeing the Hale brothers get their comeuppance from their mates. When he got it from Hannah? -- Not so much.

All thought of food suddenly left him, as he felt Hannah moving inside his mind, solemn for some reason, on what should be the happiest day of her life.

Skirting around groups of people, both vampire and human, Daric followed the trail of his mate, desperate to know why Hannah was less than blissful at her own wedding reception. Whatever it was…he’d fix it. He and Hannah had spent the last six months in complete bliss. What could be the matter with her? Was she having second thoughts about him?

He stepped out of the lights of the reception area to the wooded area beyond, his temper flaring at the sight of Hannah moving into the woods by herself. Frantic, he pushed his way through the thick foliage, stopping abruptly as he saw a soft glow just ahead, the transparent figure of a woman seeming to hover above the water, his bride standing reverently before it, mumbling softly.

“I love him so desperately. I just don’t want to shame him or his family. Thank you for the advice, mother.” Hannah inclined her head in a gesture of respect as she spoke.

“You’re welcome child,” the shimmering image of the woman replied, slowly fading away, leaving the area lit only by moonlight.

“Hannah?” Daric watched his bride turn slowly, radiant as she started to smile.

Daric’s breath seized as her smile widened, a glorious look of happiness on her face that she reserved only for him. Every damn time she saw him. And he always reacted the same way. Wonder. Joy. Awe. And a cock as hard as granite.

Picking up the skirt of her ivory wedding gown, Hannah ran to him, throwing herself into his arms. “I love you, Daric. I can’t believe you’re my husband.”

His arms wrapped around her soft, warm body as Daric inhaled the tantalizing scent that belonged uniquely to his mate. “What was that about? Who or what was that? And why are you out here in the dark by yourself? You know better.” He tried to be angry, but he nearly groaned as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her breasts rubbing against him and her softer form molding perfectly against his hardness.

“It was your mother, Daric. Did you know that there are areas where the veil between our world and the world of the Ancients is weak enough to speak to your ancestors? She told me to tell you that if you ever needed her, your father or Nolan, that you could speak to them here or one of the other places of weakness. Your father didn’t have the chance to tell you,” Hannah was chattering, her voice excited.

Impossible. He’d never spoken with the Ancients.

“You never tried,” Hannah answered aloud. “All you have to do is call to them, ask for advice.”

“And how did you come to know about this?” Daric answered, his voice still doubtful.

“I was worried. I guess everything overwhelmed me today. I was so happy, but afraid that I wouldn’t make a good Queen. I have a business to run and things to do. I don’t know anything about being Queen or even being the mate of a vampire healer. I called out to your mother, saying I wish I could get her advice. I guess I was desperate. She called me here.” Hannah shifted in his arms, pulling back to peer up at his face. “You’ve probably always been strong enough to handle everything yourself, and, you weren’t King, before. Your mother said it’s a power that can only be used by the King and Queen.”

Daric gaped at her, still incredulous that it was actually possible to speak to the Ancients. No. Not once had he ever called on his ancestors for help, tried to speak to his family.

“Because you never needed it,” Hannah said wistfully. “I did.”

Daric looked at his lovely mate with a frown. “You were worried? Why didn’t you say something? You’re perfect just the way you are.”

“I love you, Daric. I want to be a help to you, not a burden that you have to protect.”

Once, he had thought that having a woman would be a burden, a complete nuisance that he didn’t want to deal with. “You saw my memories,” he stated flatly, knowing she had seen his previous attitude at having a mate.

“Yes,” she replied, her eyes leaving his face and staring at the buttons on his shirt. “You never really wanted a mate.”

“I want you,” he growled. “I didn’t know what it would be like to have a woman who filled my heart and soul with happiness. I was fucking clueless, Hannah. I saw the worst example of what could happen with Nolan. I wouldn’t change a thing about you and I damn well wouldn’t do things differently. I didn’t know that you would fill all the emptiness inside me. Hell, I didn’t even really know it was there until I found you.”

“I’m glad you feel that way because I think you’re stuck with me,” she answered, her laughter spilling over into her words. “I got bridal jitters after I saw your memories of not wanting a mate. But I think I’m over it now.”

Damn well better be
. If she wasn’t over it, he’d take all the time he needed later to convince her of just how much he loved her, wanted her. “What did my mother say?” he asked, curious.

Hannah sighed. “She said to run my business, be happy with you, and everything else would work itself out. She has a very calming nature,” she said thoughtfully.

Daric had never known his mother, but he knew she must have been an extraordinary woman for his father to have descended into madness from losing her.

“Would you like to talk to her? We could call her again,” Hannah suggested, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and nuzzling her tempting mouth into the side of his neck.

Daric shuddered. He
would
call his family and talk with all of them. Later. He would like to see Nolan again, get to know his mother and share ideas with his father. He was happy that Hannah had discovered that conversing with them was possible, but it wasn’t his priority right now. “Later,” he answered, pulling his mate snugly against his body. “Right now I want to discuss the fact that you left without telling me or anyone else.”

“Your mother called me here, Daric. She said it was safe,” she answered, rolling her eyes at him.

Daric had to admit that Hannah
had
been good about not wandering away or doing things to endanger herself since the
fallen
attack. And his mother had called. Still, she
had
disobeyed.

Daric’s cock twitched, swelling at the trail his thoughts began to take. “A minor infraction, then,” he told her, his voice harsh and coarse with desire.

His heart started beating at a frantic pace as Hannah smiled up at him with that sinful expression that always made him insane, desperate to take her, to remind her that she belonged to him and only him.

What the fuck. It was his wedding night. It was making him possessive.

Hannah tugged on his bow tie, pulling it loose and drawing it from his neck. “Anything makes you possessive,” she reminded him as she tossed the tie over her shoulder.

Well, yeah. He couldn’t argue that point. He swallowed the lump in his throat as her nimble fingers started unbuttoning his shirt. God, he loved it when she stripped him, even though he could easily divest them of their clothing with just a thought. “About that infraction,” he grumbled. “Very naughty, wife.”

He groaned as she started to trail her tongue over his chest, skin that she was quickly unveiling by tearing open his unbuttoned shirt. “Vampire, you haven’t seen naughty,” she answered in low, aroused voice. “Bring it on. I’m willing to obey your
every
command tonight.”

Christ!
Daric didn’t bother to remind her that he was actually a vampire healer, because he didn’t give a shit. She could call him any damn thing she wanted as long she claimed him as hers. “Home,” he grunted, wrapping his arms around her, one at her waist and the other in her hair as he tilted her head to devour that wicked mouth of hers.

The two them disappeared as Daric swung his bride into his arms, clutching all that really mattered close to him as he teleported them away from their reception, unable wait another moment to get his wife into his bed.

Hannah’s laughter rang out beside the moonlit water as they departed, the couples’ happiness and love strong enough to penetrate the barrier between earth and the world of the Ancients.

Somewhere, beyond the barrier, Daric’s mother, father and brother sighed in relief and rejoiced.

~The End~

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