The King

  "This is a forgery!" Ichan declared.

  "It has proper witnesses--and I'm one of them. Maybe you'd like Wrath and the Brotherhood to come over here and testify to its validity? No? Oh, and don't worry. We're not expecting a response from you all. There is none."

  "We leave now," Xcor whispered.

  If he were Wrath, the next move would be to attack the house--and there was not enough cover inside here, that dreadful art and the large open spaces offering little for use as shields.

  As the voices of the aristocrats mixed and grew louder, he and his soldiers dematerialized out onto the front lawn. Bracing for engagement, they outed their guns.

  Except there was no one there.

  No Brothers. No attack. No ... anything.

  The silence was deafening.

  FIFTY-FIVE

  As with all great shifts in life, the sun and the moon paid no attention to the drama on the planet, their schedules unaffected by the changing destinies down below.

  It was well past midnight when Wrath woke up next to his shellan in their mated bed, his arm around her waist, his hand cupping her breast. And for a moment, he wondered whether any of it had happened--the needing, that shit from the Council, the response.

  Maybe it had all just been a fucked-up nightmare.

  Cozying in closer, he kept his arousal back. He was going to leave the sexual instigation to his leelan, at least until they knew whether she was pregnant. And if she was ... well, then he wasn't sure what he was going to do--

  Holy fuck, was he really thinking like this?

  "You're awake," Beth said.

  "How did you know?" he murmured into her hair.

  She turned in his arms. "I just do."

  They lay there for the longest time, and fucking hell, he wished he could see her properly. Instead, he settled for running his fingertips over her features.

  "How do you feel?" he asked.

  "Victorious." He could hear the smile on her face. "God, I love Rehvenge. He really took it to the Council."

  When he didn't say anything, she sighed. "This is a good thing, Wrath. I promise you."

  "Yeah, it is." He kissed her on the mouth, and then pulled away. "I'm starved. You want to eat?"

  "Actually--no. I'm not hungry, but it's got to be time for First Meal. Unless we slept through it?"

  "I think that time is past. And you guys call it breakfast, right?" He got out of bed and went over to let George in from the bathroom. "I doubt anyone else is up. That party went till five in the afternoon."

  As he popped the door, the golden tackled him with the hellos, collar jangling, tail whapping into the doorjambs, Wrath's leg, the wall as he circled, circled, circled, and sneezed from smiling.

  "Wrath?"

  "Hey, my man," he said as he knelt down. "What's up, big man? Who's the big man--"

  "Wrath."

  "Yeah?"

  "Let's go to work after you eat."

  "You trying to get me back on the horse?" He stroked that smooth head as the dog sneezed again.

  "Yes. I am."

  He rubbed his own face. "Shower. Food. Then we'll talk."

  "Work, you mean."

  The good news, he supposed, was that no one was going to want anything from him in the loo. And as he stepped under the spray before it went warm, he didn't know why he was hurrying. That wife of his was going to snap his chain until he was back on the throne, pushing papers.

  With that prospect hanging over his head? He should be hand-washing himself in the sink and using a lady's fan to dry off--

  At first he wasn't sure what he was hearing. But then, over the drone of the shower, he recognized it as retching.

  He jumped out of the marble stall so fast, he nearly yard-saled on the slippery floor. "Beth! Beth--"

  "I'm fine," she said from around the corner.

  Rushing over to the toilet's separate little room, he threw out his palms and felt around, finding his mate on her knees in front of the bowl, one hand holding back her hair, the other braced on the seat.

  "I'll get Doc Jane."

  "No, you won't--"

  She was cut off by a series of heaves, and as he stood over her, he wanted to be the one going through the gasping and the straining.

  "Screw this," he muttered, stumbling forward as he went for the house phone--

  Except it rang before he could pick the thing up to dial the clinic's extension. Shit, maybe V's wife was reading minds, too, now.

  "Jane?"

  "Ah, no, sire, 'tis Fritz."

  "Oh, listen--could you get me--"

  "Wrath, stop it. I'm fine," Beth said from directly behind him.

  He wheeled around. His wife's scent certainly didn't suggest a health emergency--and that tone of hers was annoyed, not panicked. "Ah..."

  "Whom may I bring for you?" the butler asked over the connection.

  Beth cut in again: "Wrath, seriously. Don't bother the woman, okay? There's nothing going on."

  "Then why were you throwing up?"

  "I'm sorry?" Fritz said. "Sire?"

  "Not you," Wrath muttered. "And either she comes here or--"

  "Fine, fine, I'll go down to the clinic," Beth murmured. "Just let me get dressed."

  "I'm coming with you."

  "I had a feeling you were."

  Exhaling a curse, he wondered how in the hell he was going to make it through this--either she was pregnant, in which case he was going to be scared shitless for how long? Eighteen months? Or she wasn't, in which case he was going to have to help her through her disappointment.

  Or ... shit, she could lose the young, too.

  That was the third option--oh, God, now he felt like throwing up.

  "Thanks, Fritz," he said, "I'll be down--"

  "Sire, I just wanted you to know that there will be workmen in the house this evening."

  "Workmen?"

  "For the billiards room? The damage ... was rather extensive. The floor needs to be entirely replaced, although the good news is that the original craftsmen are available. I hired them to come, and coordinated with Tohr. He was going to discuss this with you?"

  "There's been a lot going on."

  "But do not worry, sire. We have proper security measures in place. The workers have been background-checked by Vishous, and the Brothers will be on hand to supervise. I'm afraid there was no other option, assuming we wish to use the space again."

  "That's cool. Don't worry about it."

  "Thank you, my lord."

  As Wrath hung up, he refocused on the issue of his female. Marching over to the closet, he yanked on his leathers and a muscle shirt.

  "Let's go," he announced as he put George's halter on.

  "Wrath, I'm going to be just fine..." There was a pause. "Oh, shit."

  Her footfalls hurried by him, and headed back for the toilet.

  Calmly, Wrath returned to the phone--and got the butler to connect him to Doc Jane.

  It was a little difficult to argue with the hubs about a doctor's visit when Beth couldn't get her head out of the bowl. Every time she thought the nausea was over, she'd get to her feet, go back out into the bedroom--and two minutes later, she'd be on her knees again on the marble floor, heaving up absolutely nothing.

  "I don't need to lie down," she groused as she stared at the ceiling over their bed.

  When Wrath didn't reply, she turned her head on the pillow and shot a glare in his direction. He was sitting at the foot of the mattress, shoulders set, jaw locked, huge body still as stone.

  "I'm fine," she tacked on.

  "Uh-huh."

  "This is going to be a really long couple of months if we worry about every little twinge."

  "You just tried to throw up your liver."

  "I did not."

  "So you were working on your pancreas?"

  She crossed her arms over her chest.

  "I can feel you glaring at me," Wrath said.

  "Well, I am. This is ridiculous."

  The knock on the
door was quiet. So was the "Hello?"

  "Come in," Wrath said as he got up. Sticking his hand straight out, he waited for Doc Jane to come to him.

  "Hey, you two," the female said as she entered ... and slowed down to look around at the suite. "Dear God, check out this place."

  "Over the top, right?" Beth said.

  "Is it real?" Jane breathed as she shook Wrath's hand. "I mean, like ... the rubies and the emeralds. On the walls?"

  "Yeah, they're real." Wrath shrugged as if it were no big deal. "They were part of the treasury from back in the Old Country. Darius had them installed here."

  "Pretty fancy wallpaper." Doc Jane focused on Beth and smiled as she came over, all business. "So I understand you've been sick."

  "I'm fine."

  "No, she isn't," Wrath cut in.

  "Yes. I am."

  Doc Jane put her old-fashioned bag down on the bedside table and cleared her throat. "Well, maybe we can just see how you're doing anyway. Can you tell me what happened?"

  Beth shrugged. "I threw up--"

  "Like two dozen times," Wrath interjected.

  "It was not two dozen times!"

  "Fine, three dozen--"

  Doc Jane put up both of her palms and looked back and forth. "Um ... you know what I'd like to do if it's okay with you, Wrath? How about I talk to your mate one-on-one--I'm not kicking you out. I just think maybe things will go a little better if she and I had a second alone?"

  Wrath plugged his hands on his hips. "She threw up. At least a dozen times. If she wants to sugarcoat it, fine. But those are the facts."

  "All right, thank you for that. I really appreciate it." The doctor smiled. "Hey, you know what would be helpful? If you went down and got her some ginger ale and saltines from the kitchen."

  Wrath positively glowered. "You're giving me a job to get rid of me."

  "As a bonded male, I know that you're going to want to take care of her. And I think, if she's nauseous, having those things in her belly might make her feel better."

  "I can call Fritz, you realize."

  "Yes, I know. Or you can do it yourself and provide for her."

  Wrath stood there, frowning and gritting his teeth. "You know something, Jane, you're spending too much time with Rhage."

  "Because I'm manipulating you?" The physician's smile got bigger. "Maybe. But if you leave right now, you can be back waaaaay before I'm finished."

  Wrath was still muttering under his breath as he whistled for George and took the golden's halter. "I won't be long."

  A warning, more than anything.

  But he did leave.

  Doc Jane waited for the door to close before shifting those level eyes back over. "So. Let me guess, you think you're pregnant."

  Beth felt her mouth drop open. "Well, I..."

  In a gentler tone, the doctor said, "You're not going to jinx it. Saying it out loud won't change anything, I promise you. I just want to know where your head's at."

  Beth put her hands on her rounded stomach. "I don't know, I feel kind of silly. But this nausea is not like anything I've ever known. It's like--not really about my stomach? It's as if my whole body is queasy? And Layla threw up as soon as the miscarriage stopped."

  Doc Jane nodded. "She did. But before we go too far comparing the pair of you, I want to remind you that every pregnancy is different. Even with the same woman. That being said, you have just gone through your needing, and maybe you are. It's probably too early to tell, though."

  "That's what I was thinking. And yet ... I don't know--I'm kind of taking this like maybe it's a sign. But, hell, maybe it means nothing at all."

  "Well, I'll say this. The fact that you have some human in the mix? It adds on another layer of complication that is going to make diagnosis and treatment tricky. Which is why I wanted to have a candid conversation with you. I think it would be a good idea for you and me to have an idea of how and by whom you want to be treated if you are pregnant. I'd be more than happy to try to see you through things, but this is not my area of expertise. Now, Layla went to Havers--"

  "I can't go there. Wrath will want to be with me during any appointments, and nobody's going to believe that we're not together if he shows up with me pregnant at that clinic. I mean, the last thing we need is for them to call us out on fraud grounds."

  "I agree. So I have an idea."

  "What?"

  "There's a great ob-gyn in Caldwell--a woman. Everyone used to talk about her at the hospital. She's got a real feel for special cases and needs and I think we should have Manny reach out to her--see if she'll take you on as a private pay. Between me and Ehlena on the vampire side, and her on the human end? With the equipment? I'll feel more comfortable about all this."

  Beth nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

  "Great. I'll get on it. In the meantime, I'll do an assessment on you here and give you something for the nausea--"

  "Honestly, I'm okay right now. It only seems to happen when I stand up."

  "All right, but let me do a blood pressure check on you, 'kay?"

  "Help yourself."

  As Beth put her arm out, she had a moment of total, stunned disbelief. Was it possible that all that sex had worked?

  Like, for its true biological function?

  Doc Jane slid the blood pressure cuff into place and the thing made little puffing noises as it was inflated, the squeeze on her biceps making her think about all the invasive stuff that was going to happen to her if she was, in fact, knocked up. Blood tests. Ultrasounds. Examinations. As someone who had been healthy all her life, she wasn't sure how she was going to handle it.

  No going back now.

  There was a long hiss as Doc Jane watched a little dial and listened through her stethoscope. "Perfect. Lemme get a pulse here." After a moment with her fingertips pressed into Beth's wrist, the doctor nodded. "Yup. Good."

  The physician sat back and just stared at her.

  "You're giving me a doctor look," Beth said, suddenly frightened.

  "Sorry, it's a reflex." Doc Jane put her things back into her bag. "Here's the deal. I could get aggressive and climb all over you, but your pressure and pulse are great, your coloring's good, and you're not vomiting at the moment. I'd like to do a wait-and-see on this one--as long as you're not bleeding down below?"

  "Nope. Not at all."

  "Terrific. As long as you agree to holler if anything changes? I'll stay on the sidelines."

  "Deal--"

  Wrath burst through the door, with Fritz tight on his heels.

  "Oh, my God," Beth said as she got a load of the ... um, load ... they were both carrying. "Is that a case of ginger ale?"

  "Two," her husband announced. "And we left the backup one out in the hall."

  Doc Jane laughed as she got to her feet. "Your wife's good to go right now. But she's promised me she'll call--and I have the feeling, if she doesn't, you will."

  Wrath nodded. "You can bet your ass on that one."

  Beth rolled her eyes, but inside, she didn't mind him being pushy at all. Her husband was going to take excellent care of her--whether or not she was carrying his child.

  And that was love right there.

  FIFTY-SIX

  After Wrath showed Doc Jane out, he went right back to the bed. As he sat down, Beth took his hand and squeezed it.

  "I'm going to be fine," she said.

  God, he hoped so. "Are you yawning?"

  "Yes. I'm suddenly exhausted."

  "Let me get a ginger ale--"

  "No. No, thank you ... I just want to rest for a minute or two. Then I'll tackle the idea of putting something in there."

  "Are you still sick?"

  "No. I just don't want to be." Her thumb stroked back and forth over his palm. "We can do this, Wrath. All of it."

  As he didn't want to let his paranoia out, he nodded. "Yeah. It's gonna be fine."

  Except inside, he wasn't feeling that. At all.

  "You should go downstairs and work," she mumbled, like she
was already falling asleep. "Saxton stayed over. He could help you check e-mail and stuff."

  As if the glymera were going to have anything to say to him tonight?

  When he'd gone down to get the grub with Fritz, he'd run into Rehvenge, who was more than happy to report on Ichan's thwarted throning ceremony. Talk about your swagga--Rehv had been high as a kite with victory: The aristocrats had been shanked a good one, the leg they'd been standing on sliced off at the knee.

  But there was no reason to be naive and assume they wouldn't get all up in his ass again.

  They were just going to find another way to come at him.

  Thanks to Xcor.

  Man, if he could just get his hands on that son of a bitch ...

  "I can't sleep like this," Beth said. "With you hovering."

  "I want to stay."

  "There's nothing to be done here. We're in hurry-up-and-wait mode until we know one way or another."

  "Who will feed you when you're ready?"

  Her tone became gentle. "I did a pretty good job of that before you came around."

  Well ... crap.

  In the end, he figured she needed the rest more than he needed to babysit a grown-ass female. After dropping a kiss or two on her mouth, he let George escort him out of the suite and down the stairs. Emerging on the second-floor landing, he stalled out. The last place he wanted to be was in that study--

  The sound of hammering down below got his attention. What the...?

  "Stairs," he told his dog.

  As George led him down to the first floor, the noises got louder, but they were still muffled--and his nose caught a whiff of concrete powder in the air. And something else ...

  "Hey," Rhage said. "What's doing?"

  Wrath put out his hand and let his brother clap palms. "Nada. How's it going in there?"

  "Taking up the floor. We've got some heavy-duty plastic sheeting in the doorway to keep the dust down--Fritz was hoping we'd leave it open so he could clean up every morning after they leave. We kiboshed that."

  "Good call."

  On the far side of that sheeting, male voices bantered back and forth against the din of hammers cracking into stone, the chatter casual and clearly born of great familiarity. "How many workmen?"

  "Seven. We want 'em in and out as fast as possible 'cuz we're all a little twitchy--John's here with me."

  "Hey, JM," Wrath said, nodding in the direction of the male's scent.

  "He says hey--and wants to know how Beth is?"

  "She's good. Real good--thanks for everything, son."