The Tiniest Moves
Colt
Alpha Gerald leads the hunting party. He moves quickly and efficiently for a wolf of his age. Aside from the silver running through his dark fur, he’s ast agile and healthy as his son and grandsons. I don’t know where he gets all this energy from.
I’m at the back of the group with Lydia. Because we are mates, we can, thankfully, use the mind–link to communicate. She asks, “Are you all right?”
I
“I’m great,” I reply. “I like being out in the woods. I spent most of my childhood outdoors.”
“I’m the same. I would start to get antsy if I’m cooped up inside for too long.” She nods to a treehouse to our right. “Dad built that for us when we were kids. My brothers would ban me from going inside. They said it was at boys only‘ treehouse.”
“What did they do up there?”
“Whatever boys do when they’re together.” She shakes her head. Her wolf is just as beautiful as her human form. “I always wanted sisters, but my parents didn’t have any more kids after me.”
“I have two sisters, and I’ve always wanted brothers instead.”
“We should switch,” she suggests jokingly. “You can have my brothers. All of
them.”
“What would that entail?” I ask with a chuckle.
“From what I’ve seen, violence and insults. I think my brothers have tried to kill each other more than anything.”
“Do they ever do anything to you?”
“I was the baby, so nothing too bad except for that time they lured me into a box and taped it shut. I think they were going to try and mail me
somewhere.”
The
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“We were trying to sell you off for a motorbike!” Scott chimes in. I hadn’t realized she was talking to all of us, but I guess it would be rude not to include her family.
Lydia glares at the back of his head. “I wasn’t talking to you, Scotty. Buzz off!”
“Be nice!” Alcide chides.
“Don’t get rowdy!” Alpha Gerald exclaims. “You’re going to scare away the animals!”
With all the yapping and stomping around, the animals definitely know we’re coming and have run for their lives.
“Seriously, you can have all my brothers,” Lydia says. I think she’s just. talking to me now. “No take–backsies.”
“I think I’ll pass. My sisters are not that bad.”
“What are they like?” Then, she adds, “I know of Alpha Emory, but I’ve never really gotten to talk to her. I’ve always admired her, though, since she’s not. only the youngest Alpha, but she’s also a girl. That’s pretty cool.”
I live in the shadow of my amazing older sister, and I’m not even upset about it. Emory is not only the first female Alpha of our pack but she’s fought and won a war against vampires. And she managed to sneak in having a baby during all of that. Calling Emory Moonraker an overachiever is an
understatement.
“She’s exactly what you think she’s like,” I answer. “Smart, kind, and annoyingly right most of the time. She makes me look like a demon next to her.”
“She’s married to a vampire king, right?”
“King Kane of Crimson Peak. He’s a good guy. A little moody at times, but I think that’s a vampire thing.”
“That’s also kind of a male shifter thing,” Lydia points out. “Growing up, it’s like my brothers were always on their period with all the mood swings.”
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“Hey!” Scott calls out, turning to look at us. I guess we’re back to a full–on conversation now. “You don’t have room to talk, sis. You threatened to
castrate me with a butterknife!”
“You would have deserved it!”
Tommy laughs, a loud barking sound that makes Scott glare at him. “What? You totally would have deserved it.”
“What did he do?” I ask just to her–I hope.
“He made a misogynistic joke that women can’t be Alphas because they’re
too emotional.”
My eyes widen as I think of my sister.
“This is coming from the guy that punched a wall because his ex–girlfriend spread a rumor he has a small penis,” Lydia declares, clearly to everyone.
Scott stares Tommy down. “You know that’s not true. You’ve seen it.”
Tommy shrugs. “It was so long ago. I can’t recall. Don’t try to show us now!”
“Do you want me to?” he taunts.
“No!” Tommy waves his hands frantically, trying to get him to stop. “Keep it tucked between your legs!”
Tommy moves away as Scott seems ready to whip it out and prove a point. Scott chases his brother who insists who does not want to see his penis. The display of immaturity makes me suddenly grateful I don’t have a litter of older brothers. Emory is an angel in comparison.
“Did Alpha Emory ever give you a hard time growing up?”
“She dressed me up in dresses and took photos.” I hope no one can hear me but her.
Lydia smiles, intrigued. “And where are these photos?”
I shake my head, trying to look as innocent as possible. “Mysteriously disappeared one day. I have no idea where they went.”
The Timest Moves
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“If I ask nicely, can I see them?”
She bats her blue–gray eyes at me, and she’s so pretty, I have the urge to do whatever she asks.
I run a hand through my red hair. “I may be able to unearth them if you ask very nicely.”
She moves closer to me and whispers in my ear, low enough the other ment won’t be able to hear, “I can be very nice.”
The bolt of desire shoots through me. The husky quality of her voice makes me think of what she might sound like after sex. I have to close my eyes and start counting backward from twenty to stop my cock from standing at attention. I can’t have an erection when her family is five feet away.
“Are you okay?” she asks, concerned.
“Little Coit just needs a minute.”
She snorts. “Little Coit?”
“He likes you too much.”
I open my eyes and see her bright smile. She says, “I like him too.”
“He’s not
only one that likes you.”
Her blue–gray eyes soften. “I’m glad to hear that.”
She nuzzles against me, her soft fur ruffling mine, and I breathe her in. She’s so amazing, and I can’t believe I’m with her. It’s like we’ve been together forever.
Rainer
The library at Castle Graystone isn’t a place I used to frequent often, but after marrying the castle librarian, I visit the place more than anywhere in the castle if I want to see my wife. I find Willow up on a ladder shelving books. I don’t worry she’ll accidentally fall as she has the grace of a ballerina while
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up on that ladder. I’ve seen her carry the heaviest books up there with no problems.
“Hello, dear,” I greet her like we’re an old married couple.
Three years isn’t that long compared to the longevity of our species. A drop in a very large bucket. Willow and I have a tendency to bicker like a couple who’ve been together for decades. She would never admit it, but Willow likes the banter.
Willow looks down. “What are you doing here? Don’t you and Kane have that meeting?”
“He cancelled because Emory’s finally back.”
“Oh. I should go see her.”
Willow makes her way down the ladder. I can’t help but stare at her behind as it makes its way toward me. She notices where my eyes are and rolls
hers. I feel no shame.
We’re married. I’m allowed to ogle at my wife as much as I want.
“We have rules about the library,” she reminds me.
Willow has allowed me a few liberties while we’re in the library. Deep kisses. and heavy petting are as far as she’s let me go in here. Anything more is sacrilege. Having sex around her precious books is a crime she will not tolerate.
I’ve pointed out to her that we’ve had sex in our bedroom which has her personal collection of books. That was a mistake. She made me sleep on the couch in the living room that night. Ever since then I’ve never mentioned that again.
“I know,” I reply, resigned to my fate. “Even though it could be fun.”
“The library is fun, just not in the salacious way you want it to be.”
“What about the aisle with the books about sex?”
She purses her lips primly. “Those are for entertainment purposes. They are
not an invitation to recreate them in this sacred space
Knowing I’m beat and fearing a lecture. I pull Willow closer to me to give her a kiss. She’s stiff with annoyance at first, but eventually, she gives in Kissing Willow has always been a delight. She becomes sweet and pliant in my arms as she gives in to the kiss.
Her eyes stay closed as I pull away ask, “How’s your day been going?
“Nothing new “Her blue eyes open, and her expression grows serious. “But I do need to show you something”
She takes my hand and leads me to her desk. Opening a drawer, she pulls out a small stack of papers. She holds them out to me, and I take the stack. They’re children’s drawings in crayon.
“I found those in Bryony’s room,” Willow explains.
Our three–year old daughter’s drawing isn’t a concern. It’s the subject matter in her drawings that makes me pause. There are drawings of wolves in cages, a bloody wolf on the ground with a knife sticking out of its neck and a black sun with a smaller blue circle inside of it.
“Did you ask Bryony why she drew this I ask
“I did. She said she didn’t know why she drew them,” Willow replies She taps on the black sun he kept repeating that the black sun will devour the
moon
My eyebrows furrow as I try to make sense of this information “Kids have active imaginations Maybe she read something in a book or saw some kind of painting!
Willow still looks concerned. “The bleeding wolf is too violent for a child her
age to be drawing”
“It could be nothing.” I reassure her “She could have overheard someone
recounting a story about the war”
put down the papers on the mahogany desk Willow has crossed her arms over her chest I put my hands on her shoulders. She doesn’t pull away from
The Times Mover
my touch.
“Do you think we should be worried about her?” I ask. “Could it be a witch thing?”
Willow sighs. “I don’t know. She’s the first vampire child to be born that’s not a royal in millennia. I don’t know if she’ll even manifest magical powers.”
“There aren’t really any parenting books on how to raise a vampire witch.”
“If there were parenting books for this, I would have some idea of what to do.”
“Even with books, parenting is still a case–to–case basis where you try your best and hope your kid doesn’t grow up to hate you.”
“I don’t want her to be different. I want her to have a normal childhood.”
“No matter what. She’ll be safe and loved,” I reason. “We’ll figure this out. And if we can’t, we’ll reach out to Ivy and see if she has any idea what’s going on with Bryony.”
Willow keeps in touch with her niece. Ivy, who was the high priestess of Willow’s former coven. Despite her young age, Ivy is a very capable witch. During the Battle of the Red Field, I watched Ivy take down several vampires. with her magic. It had been terrifying and incredible to witness.
“It could be nothing.” Willow says. “Just Bryony’s imagination.”
I nod. “It could be nothing.”
“But if it isn’t nothing.
“We’ll call Ivy.”
“We’ll call Ivy,” she repeats, relaxing. “Ivy will know what to do.”
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It’s My Party
Lex
Castle Blackmoor is filled with activity as servants prepare the gardens for al party. People have been up early cooking food and decorating the gardens with balloons and streamers. Unlike their previous ruler I’m not prone to having trivial parties all year round. I try to avoid unnecessary expenses and go for more low–key events.
The nobles don’t say it to my face, but they disapprove of my thrifty management and way of living. They call me practically vulgar for worrying about pennies like a commoner. I don’t really care what they say about me. None of them know about the dire state of the royal treasury after the war Scarlett Thunder lost four years.
Wars are notoriously expensive, and King Peter had thrown every bit of gold. at his armies all so he could punish my brother. Whatever remained in the treasury after King Peter’s humiliating defeat at the Battle of the Red Field had to be given over to other kingdoms for reparations. I had to get massive loans in my first year ruling as regent to ensure Scarlett Thunder didn’t collapse in financial ruin. We are in a much better place financially now with efforts to improve the economy, but we still have a few more lean years to go through before I can breathe easier.
I only spend money if I have to, but I make exceptions. My son’s birthdays are one such exception. Cole is three–years–old today, and he’s old enough. that he understands what birthdays mean. At least, he understands what his birthday is.
A kid’s birthday party isn’t going to bankrupt me, so we’re serving good food and having a massive cake, as well as the best blood available. Cole has been excited all week, and I’ve given in to his request for a petting zoo. A kid only turns three once. My son is getting a petting zoo.
I enter Cole’s bedroom. Sarah has been Cole’s nanny since his birth, and she tries her best, but Cole always manages to make a mess of the room. There’s always a toy out of place. I pick up a turtle stuffed toy off the floor and throw it over to the open toy chest in the corner.
Sarah is busy trying to get Cole dressed which is a task easier said than done. She’s managed to get him in pants, but as soon as he sees me, he
abandons her.
“Daddy!” he yells excitedly.
Cole runs to me, and I kneel down so I can hug him properly. His little arms. encircle my neck, and I smile. No matter what day–to–day troubles I have to fix, and the headaches they cause me, just holding my son in my arms makes everything worth it. Despite his parentage, Cole is the sweetest boy and possesses none of the faults his mother and I have in spades.
I pull back to look at Cole’s round face. His pale blue eyes are bright with excitement.
“Good morning, birthday boy,” I say. “How did you sleep?”
“It was good,” he replies. “Can we have the party now?”
I chuckle and run my fingers through his hair. It’s the exact same platinum blond as mine. His bangs are getting a little long. I should get someone to
cut it soon.
“The party won’t be for another hour. All your guests still have to arrive.” I add in a whisper, “And the animals are still on their way.”
His blue eyes are wide with joy. “Is the turtle going to be there?”
I nod. “The tortoise will be there.”
“And the sloth?”
“The sloth is coming too.”
Other kids might like more exciting animals like horses or elephants, but my son loves the ones that move slowly. The less they move, the better. I don’t know why. Cole is a bit odd, but I love him even more for it.
“Yay!” Cole turns to Sarah who is standing behind him with his shirt. “Sarah, I’m going to see a turtle and a sloth!”
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Sarah smiles fondly. “That’s great, Your Highness.”
I get to my feet and pat the top of
get dressed. You can’t show up to you You be good for Sarah, and
a shirt.”
Cole runs to Sarah immediately. He lifts his hands up so she can put his shirt on him. Sarah quickly curtsies to me before going back to getting Cole dressed. I leave the room and go check on the gardens to see how things are going.
The food is prepared and ready to be served. On tables there are an array of snacks for the children such as chicken nuggets, little sandwiches, and crackers. Most of the tables are set up with goblets for blood, since that is mostly what we consume, but on a day like this, we will also celebrate with food. There’s also the start of the party, the multi–tiered cake in white. frosting decorated with little green turtles.
The nobles and their children should be arriving soon. While the nobles do not care for me, none of them would dare snub a party invitation. Cole is going to be their king someday, and it wouldn’t look good for any of them if their kid missed his birthday party. And I know they would take any opportunity to suck up and gain more advantage in court.
The animal handlers have arrived with the petting zoo. The servants help set up little pens for the animals to be kept in. I watch as the animals are led into the pens. The selection of animals is more diverse than I expected.
I check with the servants for last minute things I need to approve, but the party seems ready. The guests will arrive soon. The noble children are dressed well in expensive garments meant to show off their parents‘ wealth. I should have known the nobles would rather sacrifice their children’s comfort over appearances.
Cole is dressed more plainly in comparison, but no one says a word. The noble children hang on to his every word. He doesn’t have to raise his voice to get people’s attention. They follow his lead without question.
“Your son is a natural born leader,” Queen Olga tells me, appearing by my side. “It shouldn’t be a surprise considering his lineage.”
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I have invited the vampire royals that I thought would be amenable to come. The Queen of Sardonia is a long–time ally to my birth kingdom. And she has come with her great–granddaughters.
I look at her, trying to gauge if she’s giving a compliment or an insult. It’s no secret what she and the other vampire royals thought of Cole’s late
grandfather. King Peter didn’t make a ton of friends in his lifetime. That has not been an accident.
“He’s nothing like his grandfather.”
“I meant, he takes after the Alexander kings. He has that quality your grandfather and your father had. And what your brother has.”
Unlike me. I’ve always been the spare. I’m not meant to rule a kingdom unlike my brother. A twist of fate is the only reason the crown of a foreign kingdom has landed on my head.
The animal handler is telling the kids not to touch the sloth. Sloths aren’t known to be part of petting zoos, and we only have one as a special request. Cole is listening intently to the animal handlers‘ instructions. He stops a boy from reaching up and touching the sloth.
Cole says something and the boy nods. They’re smiling at each other. There’s no bad blood. Ah, how nice and simple it is to just be a child.
“I appreciate you coming,” I say to Queen Olga. “I know you don’t like leaving the mountain if you can’t help it.”
“It’s good for my great–granddaughters to get out and socialize. They’ll be better prepared for their futures the more they know of the other kingdoms.”
“Prepared? Aren’t the twins only four–years–old?”
“They won’t be four forever.” She gives me a look. “I’m sure you’re aware that this is not just a social visit. Every girl in this party could be the next queen of Scarlett Thunder.”
There is no end to the scheming and politicking in court. Even at a children’s party. I look at the children dressed in their finest clothes sitting on the
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It’s My Party
grass, and I want to scoff at how ridiculous this all is. All of them are too young to already be pawns in their parents‘ desires for advantageous matches.
“I would prefer it that any talk of my son’s future marriage prospects not be a topic for a few more years.”
“Come now, Lex. It’s always been the way of things. Your father had Kane temporarily engaged twice before he was even of age.”
“I remember.”
As a second son, my hand in marriage hadn’t been as coveted. My parents hadn’t bothered with getting me engaged for political purposes as a child. By the time my father died and Kane became the new king, he didn’t bother using me as a pawn that way. I have been grateful as I might have ended up in a loveless marriage.
I
That thought reminds me that I am in a loveless marriage.–but for different reasons. This was my choice. For my son.
I look around the gardens and can’t find my wife anywhere. Checking my watch, I see that she’s over an hour late to the party. I hadn’t bothered with. trying to find her earlier as I didn’t think a mother should have to be reminded about her own son’s birthday.
“Will you excuse me for a moment, Queen Olga? I have a matter to attend
to.”
She nods, and I walk away, trying to keep my composure and not let my anger show. I make my way back into the castle and head to the east wing. where Opal’s bedroom is located. I open her bedroom door without knocking but stop in place as I find Opal sitting on the bed, a man between. her legs.
Opal moans loudly as she grabs the man’s dark hair. This is not an unfamiliar sight for me. The past four years have been like this. Fidelity. hasn’t ever been a part of my marriage, at least not on Opal’s side.
“Opal,” I bark out her name.
The man between her legs immediately gets away from her. He stands and turns so I can see his face. He’s a nobleman, and I can’t recall his name, but I remember he’s married. His wife and child must be at the garden party
“Your Majesty,” he says, nervously.
“Go,” I command
He practically sprints from the room.
I sigh, running a hand over my face. This is not how I wanted this day to go.
“Really, Lex?” Opal says, annoyed “Can’t you give me a little privacy?”
“I give you all the space you want.”
res, but this only happens because you barely look at me most of the time?” Her voice rises as she grows angter. “The lengths I have to go through for you to even notice me! You catch me with a man, and you don’t even get jealous!”
I snort. “You want me to be jealous? You hate me.
“I’m your wife” she shrieks. “You’re supposed to love and cherish me! I don’t even exist to you!”
I look at Opal’s angry face. She’s always been pretty, but her personality diminishes that fact Any physical attraction I may have had to her withered in the unsatisfying wasteland of our mariage. What secret hopes I harbored at the beginning of our union that it could be a happy one have long been
snuffed out
*Opal, I don’t care who you sleep with,” I tell her. “What I care about is that today is your son’s birthday, and you’re missing the party
Opal gets off the bed and goes to her vanity table She fusses over her appearance, running a brush through her messy dark hair “Cole probably hasn’t even noticed I’m not there!”
“He will notice. “I catch her gaze in the mirror and insist, “Get yourself together, and come to the party. Don’t make me have to drag you there
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It’s My Party
kicking and screaming.”
She grabs one of the perfume bottles on the vanity table and throws it at me. I dodge and the bottle hits the wall, disintegrating into glass shards.
“Come to the party or else,” I add, unperturbed. “I mean it, Opal.”
“Fine!” she retorts.
I leave her to go back to the party. Opal and I may hate each other, but I’m not going to let that hurt Cole. He deserves the best. If I have to bend over backward to create a better world for him than I will.
