Princess Ninja Warrior (House of Garner Book 4) Page 23

  Cerdic snickered, leaning over and licking her nipple. “We’ll still want you, love. You just might not be as generous with us, but we’ll still try to get you out of your clothes all the damn time.”

  “And I’ll still get jealous,” she muttered, shooting Kristof a worried look.

  “I want not one of them, My Princess,” he promised. “I want my fiancée, who will soon be my wife. I would never betray you or look at another woman with desire.”

  “Good, because you’re already grounded,” she reminded him as she leaned into him. “No one goes near that legendary cock but me. You got your last fling before you asked to court me and you better have enjoyed it.”

  He snorted. “Only because I thought of you and you were the one who gave me the erection. I don’t even remember who it was I played with.”

  She bit back a smile, clearly liking that she was special when he’d had thousands of years of women. “You just want to have a whole day of fun when I accept your oath.”

  “I do, but it’s still the truth, My Princess. Everyone woman pales in comparison to you in my eyes.”

  She flushed and ducked her head, giving each of them a kiss before drawing on them in her blood and accepting Cerdic and Kristof’s on their engagement rings. Then they cleaned her up and back to work.

  She never once looked my way. It drove me nuts, having been the guard dog for so long that was only wanted for protection or blood, I couldn’t fall back into that. It was the reason I was on edge for dinner.

  “Holy crap, these are so good,” Inez moaned as she ate an onion ring.

  “We did those!” one of the younger cougar shifters announced. “We helped on the batter and breading machine.”

  “Good job,” she praised, beaming at them. “These are so good.” She stared at it. “I wonder what else we could batter and fry.”

  She nodded along as the kids excitedly talked about options and ideas they’d heard from their parents. Everyone was in a cookout fun mood, given there were hundreds of turkeys cooking on the spit roasters set up at one of the resorts.

  “Stop watching her like she’ll be yours,” Kristof muttered as he moved next to me. “We get it, you want her. She already has one ancient in her life that she saved and helped more than any could. She doesn’t need another.”

  I swallowed a snort, knowing full well he meant himself and the monsters the house of Priest had been. “Her heart is big enough for another. And I could give her more than you.”

  “She’s not like that,” he replied, his voice calm even if I could feel his upset. “And her heart is, but you will bring her hurt.”

  “And your friends won’t? The ones you clearly want her to be with? I saw a lot more than you would guess.”

  “Yes, waiting for the time to abduct her,” he chuckled darkly. “And one of her best friends. That will be what she sees when she looks at you. You took her from those she loves and risked her friend’s life; orders or not, that’s who you are, and she doesn’t need you. You need her. Except you’ll hurt her, so stop before we have a problem.”

  Rage boiled up inside of me at how quickly he dismissed me, labeled me and my guilt and dismissed me. Before I even fully realized what I was doing, the decision to hurt him was made.

  I heard something like a yelp and I turned in time to see that my side punch didn’t hit him but her. I watched in horror as Inez went flying across the terrace, landing in a heap.

  Her shorts turned dark, and I realized she’d wet herself in fear, still diving in the way of him. Everything turned to chaos as people tackled me or went to help her. I didn’t fight, shock freezing me in my place that I’d just hit her.

  Lloyd chuckled from several feet away. “Well, he bit his last master so I’m not shocked he’d bite his new one. Apparently the dog has gone feral.”

  “Tell me she’s alive,” I choked out.

  “She’s alive,” a Wessex noble snapped. “But you might not be much longer. You caved in half of her skull and probably broke her neck. You’re lucky that doesn’t kill us always, even as young as her.”

  I closed my eyes and let them drag me away, unable to see what I’d done to her. The one thing I’d ever wanted in all my years, and I’d almost killed her. She would never love me now.

  And I didn’t deserve for her to.

  18

  I woke in pain like I couldn’t put into words. My whole face and upper body felt like it was broken. Kristof was trying to feed me blood, but my fangs wouldn’t work, so he was cutting himself and dripping it onto my face. Huh?

  I passed back out and was still in pain, but it was less. More blood and then I was out again. We did that a few more times until I could focus on anything more than the pain. Why was I in such pain?

  I gasped. Right, Vitor had tried to hurt Kristof. “Kristof?”

  “I’m here, I’m fine, you stupid, stupid woman,” he rasped, leaning over and kissing my hand. “What were you thinking?”

  “Malice,” I moaned, my jaw and mouth hurting.

  “Don’t talk,” Darius cut in. “We’ve given you what we could for the pain, but you’re a real vampire now instead of weak and underfed. It doesn’t work as well.”

  “Squeeze my hand for yes,” Kristof said. “You felt malice from him?” He waited until I squeezed. “And you decided he should hit you instead?” I didn’t squeeze and he sighed. “You tried to push me out of the way.” This time I did squeeze. “You stupid, selfless, crazy idiot. It wouldn’t have hurt me and it almost killed you!”

  “Sorry,” I rasped, closing my eyes. He was so, so upset and my head hurt, including my eyes. “Love you.”

  “I love you too. We’re supposed to protect you, Inez. Stop doing stuff to protect us. You could have died with that many corrupted as well. We were coming—”

  “Mate, she hurts bad, leave it be,” Cerdic cut in.

  “There, this should help,” someone said in the background, sounding a bit like Jacob. “It’s topical and cooling so it might be better than trying to crush pills into her mouth.”

  I moaned as a cool, tingling something was rubbed on my skin. The pain eased a bit and I sighed in relief. “Better.”

  “Good,” he said, coming into view. “I’m going to check your eyes and see how you’re healing. I know it’s horrible but I need you to focus on the light.” He opened one eye and shined a flashlight in it before the other. “Her reaction is good. Her healing as well. Small doses of your blood rubbed directly onto to the areas will be the best treatment until she’s fully healed.”

  “Thanks,” I mumbled.

  “You’re welcome, Inez,” he whispered. “Rest now. Baby vampires who take punches from maybe the oldest noble alive need rest.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, already fading back out but not completely.

  “He could have killed her. He goes,” Kristof declared.

  “It was meant for you and he wasn’t even going to give you a full punch, no matter whatever you said, as he would have punched her damn head off then,” Cerdic said. “We need to do better all around. We were throwing punches at Dennis when he was there too, but none of us should be doing that with kids underfoot and baby vamps or shifters around we can really hurt.”

  “Agreed, and we were lax by starting it and that the behavior was acceptable even if he wasn’t here for that,” Darius said. “Court decorum shouldn’t be dismissed for coven events, even if it was a cookout. We won’t have all this crazy shit, but if people have issues, take it outside or away from the others.”

  “Fine, but I still want him gone,” Kristof seethed. “Or I get to kill him. Pick.”

  “He could protect her, and losing that strength to help when it was an accident is a bit much and I say that wanting him dead for hurting her too,” Jaxon grumbled.

  There was a knock on the door and I heard it open. “The guy is asking we allow him to help turn raided places into energy beads, like he was earlier,” James said quietly. “We’ve got him locked up but honest
ly, we can’t hold him. He could bust out of that room like nothing.” He cleared his throat and moved closer. “How is she?”

  “Better,” Jacob answered. “She keeps drifting but not going fully out. That tells me that her brain is healing, but she might have some loopiness or put things together wrong as she fully heals. It was massive head trauma that any human or even shifter wouldn’t have survived. Even her surviving so young is a miracle, and probably only because she’s a princess and the infusion of powerful blood she had.”

  “Simon?” I muttered, upset I still hadn’t gotten a chance to really talk to him.

  “He’s been a bit out of it, sexy bite,” James murmured as he moved closer. “He’s upset he left you.”

  “Silly cat, I ordered him. Need him.”

  “I’ll get him. He’ll help you recover.” James leaned over, but then probably realized he shouldn’t kiss my head.

  So the brat kissed my ass, muttering that should help.

  “Let him handle Canada if he’s so scary and powerful,” I said after they talked a bit more. “If he’s sorry, let him handle the lion’s den.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” someone agreed.

  Simon yowled and I immediately reached for him, snuggling up against him. “I’m sorry you got abducted because of me. I woves you. Don’t hate me.”

  And that was what was bugging me most. I’d been nabbed before, and it was always traumatizing, but they’d wanted me alive and I knew I was valuable. Simon hadn’t had that reassurance and it was all because of me. It killed me it was because of me.

  “Actually, Vitor says he picked the time you were with Simon because he knew Simon was a small animal and could get out for help. It was also why he picked that cell,” James told us. “He also already interjected in one attempt against you. He’s been very open suddenly, in the hopes Trisha or I would tell you and know he never meant to hurt you.”

  “That makes no… He hoped she could free them,” Jacob muttered. “Why grab her then? I mean, of course after the guests left but—”

  “Safie threatened to start killing children of the coven,” James answered. “His friend, Petre told us the same. He knew Vitor was stalling but not that he hoped Inez would save them. It’s a fine line between betraying a princess and standing aside to let them get what they deserve, but he also said they never swore to Safie.”

  “What? How is that possible?” someone asked.

  “The house of Darbandi doesn’t hand down the coven,” Darius answered. “They take it. The moment a daughter can get the power and cunningness to kill her parents, she takes the coven and then inherits the nobles, not her father. The house of Katz were neighbors to them, and it was one of the houses that disgusted Mother most.”

  “She took out her womb and burned it somehow,” I muttered. “She bragged about it and said she wanted to adopt me as the first in her world domination plans no one would ever challenge her.”

  “Sounds about right,” James agreed. “They both said Safie believed that she became champion of all the gods that lost their champions.”

  “Right, because why her?” Jaxon drawled. “At least split them up and don’t be completely greedy in your crazy. Wow, just wow.”

  “See, Simon? You played your role perfectly,” I mumbled into his fur. “You led them to me when her power messed them up. You get a gold star of Team Inez.” I said something else but I couldn’t even hear it.

  “Okay, so that’s a bit jumbled, but I got she wants to celebrate and feed him cake?” James said, but more asked.

  “I agree with her to let Vitor handle this Canada situation,” Jacob said before we got distracted. “The message I received from my princess was Olivia started recovering the moment she said her apology for the recording. She might be resentful of it, but she meant it, and either way, none of this is Inez’s fault. Let him go attest to how kind she has treated those who tried to abduct her.”

  “And that he protects her now,” Jaxon agreed but then sighed. “Kristof, you were a huge pain in the ass, but you were the scariest fucker to protect her. It was a hard pill to swallow, but we did it for her. Time to show you love her and can put her first.”

  He didn’t say anything a few moments. “Do you feel less loved with the addition of me or Cerdic? She gives me attention she would give you and—”

  “No, I don’t,” Darius answered. “I think her heart is not only big enough to accept us all, that she needs us. We give her pieces of us like to sleep with her a bit and switch off. She gives us her full everything when it’s our time. I think that keeps us from ever crossing into an unhealthy obsession I’ve seen some nobles with their princesses. It will keep it forever, instead of burning to hot and then burning out.”

  “Cray cray men,” I mumbled. “I would never share. It would kill me to think you loved another.” I sniffled. “I would die.”

  “Well, then good thing we’re not built like you, my love,” he whispered as he ran his hand over my leg. “We’re built to know it takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a court to love and give a princess what she needs. You never have to choose; only love us.”

  “Plus, you were fine with Darius and I,” Jaxon reminded me. “It’s ingrained in you to be top female. It makes sense. We’re honored and blessed you never wish to pick one Night, so stop being down on yourself.”

  “Spank me later,” I teased, swallowing anything else I might have said when Darius objected.

  “Dude, you need to lighten up a bit,” Cerdic said gently. “I know you’ve had past worries, but Inez isn’t your sister and we would never let anyone abuse her. If she wants to experience everything, including some slap and tickle, don’t be the ass that makes her ashamed of that.”

  “This is completely off topic,” Kristof sighed, probably realizing not to push or risk I’d say anything else.

  “Love you,” I murmured, reaching for his hand.

  “I love you too, Inez,” he rasped. “We’ll handle this. We’ll handle everything.”

  Maybe that was what I needed to hear, as I completely drifted off that time, having crazy dreams like Jacob said, but real sleep at least.

  “I am truly and very sorry, Simon,” I heard a deep voice say. “I’m sorry I involved and traumatized you. I went for the one I hoped would listen to Inez, and with your youth, you wouldn’t have stubbornness the others would have. Another female would risk other horrors I would not be allowed to stop.”

  “I would have rather you picked me then,” Simon whispered. “I just can’t stop this gnawing guilt and my cat upset that I wasn’t loyal.”

  “You were, kiddo,” Trisha said gently. “You did as your princess ordered. Inez wouldn’t have been able to pull that hat trick if you hadn’t, and Tian said one of the guys was intent on killing her. They might have before they could get to her if you hadn’t gotten them so close. You made the right call, and a hard one. I don’t know I would have done it and I could have made it all worse.”

  “Okay,” Simon choked out.

  “I’m so sorry,” I rasped as I pushed to sit up and slid back down, my eyes still sensitive.

  “Hey, no moving yet,” someone chastised. “You’re still recovering, and have only been down for half the night, for real.” I heard a clicking and someone touching my face. “I’m shining the light to see how you are.” Right, Jacob.

  I groaned as he checked, but he was pleased with the progress.

  “And you can’t apologize when I signed up for this,” Simon told me. “Fine, I won’t feel guilty for leaving when you ordered me, and you can’t feel guilty I was taken because I was your knight and good leverage.”

  “Deal,” I whispered, not sure I could keep it, but I didn’t want him hurting anymore, and if that could help, so be it. “Branko.”

  “You want Branko?” Trisha asked me.

  “Yeah, head hurts. Voice helps the headaches with ghosts,” I mumbled. “Throat and neck hurt.”

  “I’m so sorry, Princess,�
�� that deep voice said. He let out a shaky breath when I flinched, realizing who it was. “I won’t hurt you, I swear it. It was an accident.”

  “No more malice,” I breathed, trying not to freak out.

  “Malice?” Vitor asked.

  “She and Eddie say that’s what they feel when you seriously old nobles get angry around them. It’s like this fog of malice and it terrifies them,” Trisha explained. “She didn’t grow up around us and it’s all still really new. We’re used to crazy ranges and fluctuating of emotions but she’s not. Well, he’s not used to you really ancient guys he said, but old, so he handles it better.”

  “Everyone’s agreed to keep their tempers and issues in until leaving the room and events,” Simon told me. “Little kids shouldn’t see that when they’re already so scared and most are having nightmares about corrupted. Plus, there’s always the chance of an accident or someone else getting hurt. Everyone agreed that safety was most important and if someone calls outside, that they’ll take it there.”

  “Good,” I sighed. “Kristof is so pissed at me.”

  “He’s not, he loves you and was scared,” Trisha promised. “And maybe he wants you to ground him longer, as apparently he’s liking that he gets so much of your attention.”

  “It’s not a punishment if he’s being spoiled.”

  “Yes, well, you spoil all of them,” she drawled.

  Branko arrived and brought the book he was reading to me. We’d moved on from The Fellowship of the Ring and were now reading The Two Towers. He was so sweet that he always noted where I fell asleep and started from there instead of where he’d stopped for the night.

  I napped a lot that day healing, and woke for food and some more of the story. I felt much better after a full night’s sleep, but then there was drama and I just wanted to crawl back under the covers.

  “We’ve spoken on this, and a lot,” Cerdic said as he pulled me to sit up against him, snuggled under his arm. “Vitor and Petre have offered to be your personal guards. They are the oldest and most lethal, and you will need that if we are to make it, love.”